This probably won't help people with a fear of flying, but CNN reports today that an Air Canada pilot has been arrested after nearly 17 years of flying, once it came to light that he wasn't actually a licensed pilot. He managed to complete over 900 flights—both domestic and international—between 2009 and 2025.
If this sounds like a movie to you, that's exactly what the district police chief says about the case. The "pilot" was eventually promoted to captain and has earned a total of over $2 million, even though he neither had the necessary license nor had passed the required exams.
The case came to light following an investigation, after which he was arrested following his retirement last year. Air Canada commented on the case, stating that safety was never compromised, but added that "appropriate licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry's multi-layered approach to safety, so Air Canada takes this matter with utmost seriousness."